Transforming Tanzania’s Charcoal Sector Charles Meshack Executive Director Tanzania Forest Conservation Group 22 nd November 2016
Workshop Objectives • To enhance stakeholder understanding of recent changes in policy and practice in local government and in the energy, forest, environment and land sector in relation to charcoal and fuelwood. • To promote stakeholder dialogue on how to break the policy silence on measures to enhance the environmental sustainability, good governance and energy security for charcoal and fuelwood. • To share recent progress and lessons learned from piloting sustainable charcoal production in Morogoro Region. • To agree on priority policy changes needed to enhance the environmental sustainability, good governance and energy security the sectors in relation to charcoal and fuel wood.
Workshop Rationale Key issues identified by stakeholders in 2015 1. Absence of a supportive policy environment; 2. Low investment in the sector; 3. Misconceptions and lack of awareness; 4. Expense and complexity of the land use planning process ; and 5. Informality of the sector February 2015: TTCS National Workshop for Exploring the Evidence, Mapping the Way Forward and Planning for Future Actions for Developing Biomass Energy in Tanzania
Why the focus on policy? 1. Top priority for stakeholders in 2015. 2. Time of important policy change in: - Forest - Environment - Energy - Climate change 3. New Government committed to improving governance. 4. Research highlighting relevant policy gaps and emerging trends.
About the Transforming Tanzania’s Charcoal Sector Project Research + Communication + Advocacy Project Goal A pro-poor and climate resilient transformation of the economics and governance of charcoal and other forest product Policy Practice value chains Implementation
Project Partners
Location of piloting activities Kilosa District -20 villages (including10 villages from Phase 1) Mvomero and Morogoro Rural Districts - 10 villages
The MJUMITA Sustainable Charcoal Model Theory of Change Formalise village • Improved forest and land management and livelihoods for forest- Sustainable tenure owning communities charcoal production Apply sustainable • Better governance embedded in harvesting principles community • Less deforestation based forest Organise producers management and improve • CC adaptation and production mitigation efficiency
The MJUMITA Sustainable Charcoal Model Step 1. Conduct village land use planning and establish village land forest reserves TTCS results 10 villages with village land use plans and village land forest reserves covering 64,000 ha
Step 2. Integrate charcoal forest management units in the Village Forest Reserves i.e. areas designated for sustainable charcoal production TTCS Results 5,543 ha of woodland designated for sustainable charcoal production
Step 3. Map out coupes in each charcoal management unit and assess biomass
Step 4. Establish good governance for the reserves Permits issued based on annual harvesting quota for that year Transparent procedures for issuing permits and record-keeping Fees retained by the villages By-laws enforced rigorously TTCS Results: 8 villages in Kilosa operating the permitting system successfully. 8 more villages in the set-up phase.
Step 6. Train producers in good governance and sustainable production. Groups are registered with TFS. Step 7. Traders order charcoal from accredited producers, pay village and District fees and obtain transit permits. Step 8. Transporters demonstrate that the charcoal has been sourced legally from a sustainably managed VFR for exemption from TFS royalties at natural resources check-points along the highway. TTCS Results: Over 500 producers trained and 1,480 tonnes of charcoal produced and sold
Step 9. Charcoal forest management units are managed to allow natural regeneration over a 24 yr harvesting cycle. Regeneration is based on coppicing . - 70 to 100 % of harvested stumps in wet miombo woodland will coppice; - faster than growing from seed as root stock is already well-developed.
Revenue distribution in 8 productive villages 2014 - 16 Producer Village $90,000 $140,000 Village fees pay for reserve management costs and community District development projects $11,336
Challenges and barriers Absence of a clear, consistent national policy on charcoal Land and agricultural policies promoting conversion of natural woodland to agriculture Structural challenges within the forestry sector that are contributing to deforestation on village land Project villages are an island of legal, sustainable production in a sea of illegal / informal production. - Production from the 8 villages is ~ 0.1 % of the ~ 1.3 million tonnes / yr of charcoal consumed in urban areas. Producer incomes are still low. Villages are rapidly selling off their forest land to private investors.
Opportunities and enabling factors Experiences from TTCS project villages show that a formalised, sustainable charcoal value chain: - is competitive even in the current market; - can deliver significant revenues for community development; - can incentivise and enable communities to manage large areas of woodland and forest on village land; - can reduce deforestation.
Opportunities for scaling up There is significant potential for scaling up: • Annual Charcoal Demand 2013 = ~ 2.3 million tonnes (according to BEST, 2014) • BEST estimates that this required 350,000 ha of woodland • 350,000 ha x 24 year rotation cycle = 8.4 million ha i.e. at least 8.4 million ha of woodland under sustainable management is needed in order to meet supply for the next 24 years or so. • Area of woodland on village land = 21.6 million ha (2.3 million ha already under CBFM) A significant proportion of current charcoal demand could be met through sustainable production from the 21.6 million ha of woodland remaining on village land. It is not too late.
Way forward - TTCS Phase II Scale up sustainable charcoal production by introducing the model in villages in Mvomero and Morogoro Districts; Work closely with NFBKP III to scale up in other districts. Broaden the forest-based enterprises integrated into CBFM to include sustainable timber. Build stakeholder capacity to implement the model with a focus on local and central government. Persuade other districts and initiatives to support additional communities to adopt the model.
Asanteni sana
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